Match made in heaven

When we lost our beloved Kerby back in April, Ninja Man and I decided to not get another pup right away.

We'd had Kerby for 15 years and nursed her for the last three years of her life. Blind and deaf, she was in pain for her last months. Our hearts were broken with her loss.

What we didn't count on was how her cohort Hoover (they are named after vacuum cleaners) would handle the loss. Though they were both Boston Terriers, Hoover and Kerby were not best buddies. While they got along well, she did not like to be touched and was unable to play in her later years so Hoover kept his distance. Treat time was the only thing that would cause interaction, and much to Kerby's dismay, Hoover would fly into the room and body slam his elderly friend. We learned how to jump in front of her to lessen the impact after the first few encounters.

We were surprised to realize how much the little dog meant to Hoover.

When we came home from the vet without her, he spent all of his time lying on the sofa. He lost his appetite. He didn't want to do anything and was clearly showing signs of depression. Two months of this and though we weren't ready to get another dog, we realized something had to be done for him.

Ninja Man began searching for Boston Terrier rescue groups online. Each time we found one we might consider, the pup had either been adopted or was unsuitable for our household.

What we needed was a pup who needed a family home, one with occasional grandLittles running in and out. A pup who would travel well and of course, get along with our big guy, Hoover.

After a few weeks of hunting we found a sweet pup that looked to be a perfect match. An application and fees, home visit, emails and photos followed.

Finally the day came. Ninja Man and I packed up Hoover for the drive to South Carolina to meet the foster 'parents' of our new family member. Her name was Dixie, a brindle Bo-Jack, half Boston, half Jack Russell.

And it was love at first sight.

This pointy-nosed girl with golden stripes and a long tail stole our hearts right away. Ninja Man picked her up and she held onto his arm with both paws. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him kiss her on her head. I knew then it was done. She had a fur-ever home with us.

That was in June. The first thing we did was change her name to a vacuum cleaner name, this time Miele. It's a German vacuum and we pronounce it 'Mee-Lah.' In the four months she's been our baby we have taken her on camping trips and visits to family out of town. She's become well known in our neighborhood as the dog whose leash (and now Hoover's leash) has several repairs due to chewing. We found out when traveling that she would chew on the leashes for entertainment.

She loves to snuggle, eat, play and run. Her antics forced Hoover off the sofa and brought him back to life. He is happy now and plays constantly with his new bestfriend. Her fosters and I stay in touch and I feel that we have lifelong friends, brought together by this little girl.

A few weeks ago she climbed into Ninja Man's lap and began pawing at his face. He made her stop, but for the next few days she would jump up and immediately paw at the same place. She knew what the doctor would soon diagnose, that a skin cancer was brewing. Once his surgery was over and it was healed, she didn't alert on it again. A few weeks later I had a place removed from my waist and she alerted on it until it healed.

This little dog came into our life, healed our Hoover from heartache and is now taking care of us, too. It's a match made in Heaven.